PASTOR’S CORNER, David Hoffman, First Church of the Nazarene, Liberal

Daniel chapter 6 contains one of the most familiar stories in the Bible – Daniel, whom God protected, in the den of lions! You will find either lions’ den, den or lions 12 times in the chapter (verses 7, 12, 16, 17, 19, 20 twice, 22, 23 twice, 24 twice).

Daniel was a prominent person under king Darius in Babylon. Daniel served, in today’s terms, as the Secretary of State. He led king Darius to a personal knowledge of God in only two years. In 6:1-5, his influence as a diplomat in a foreign land is recorded among 120 satraps with three administrators over them. Darius wanted to set him over the entire kingdom (like Joseph under Pharaoh in Egypt) due to exceptional qualities that distinguished him above all other leaders.

Daniel lived a life of integrity, credibility and transparency. Verse 4 says, satraps could find “no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.” Verse 5 says, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.” Other men expressed jealousy as political subordinates, so they appealed to the vanity of king Darius.

Daniel exemplified that one can live a life of faith in a hostile world. He only served one night in the lion’s den, but the Lord’s agenda for him was to serve under 5 pagan kings – Nebuchadnezzar, Nabonidus, Belshazzar, Darius and Cyrus. That’s a very dangerous assignment!

A newspaper ad by a lion tamer read that he wanted “tamer lions.” We understand his sentiment, since one can hear a lion’s roar five miles away & we also live in a turbulent and chaotic world like a lion’s cage. By the way, a stool used to tame lions confuses the lion so it cannot focus due to the four legs. In contrast, Christians can focus on God in prayer by His presence, providential care, and the Lord’s peace.

Two major themes emerge in Daniel 6.

1. Sovereignty of God is Supreme

Sovereignty fundamentally means that God has the “last word”! He is in control. He still sits on the throne in heaven while He allows humanity to have free will. Ultimately, God will make a way where there seems to be no way. As the popular Christian song states, “You are Way Maker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper, Light in the Darkness.” The word “rescue” occurs five times (verses 14, 16, 20, 27 twice).

Recall Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego in Daniel chapter 3. They worshiped the one and only Almighty God rather than the 90 foot gold statue that Nebuchadnezzar had built and required his kingdom to bow down. God protected them from the fiery furnace heated seven times hotter because the Son of God (the 4th man) walked beside them in the flames. No hairs singed, their robes not scorched, and no smell of smoke. They passed the test of undivided loyalty. They were refined in the fire; God intervened. 

Contrast the decrees of king Darius from 6:6-15 and 6:25-27. The first decree that he put into writing was sealed with a signet ring as an edict to ban prayer to anyone else besides Darius for 30 days in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians, “which cannot be repealed.” (v. 8, 12, 15; also Esther 1:19 and 8:8) In other words, it was irrevocable and could not be altered or repealed. It stems from Hammurabi’s Code. Essentially, they believed that the Persian king spoke for the gods, who could not be wrong, so decree could not be changed.

However, Darius’ second decree stressed that people in every part of his kingdom must “fear and revere the God of Daniel. ‘For he is the living God, and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.’” Darius exalts the LORD as alive, eternal, and He is a deliverer or Savior! God is King over the entire universe and the affairs of mankind as His creation.

2. Be faithful to God in hardship & pressure by practicing His presence in prayer

Don’t be afraid of pressure. Remember that pressure is what turns a lump of coal into a diamond! God shapes our character in the midst of persecution, adversity, life’s challenges and hardships. I Peter 5:7 says, “Casting all of your care upon Him because He cares for you.” Jeremiah 33:3 reminds us, “Call unto Me, and I will answer thee and show you great and mighty things which you do not know.”

Saint Augustine once wrote, “Thou hast created us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless until we find our rest in Thee.”

Prayer is basically the heart to heart interaction and conversation with God in a personal relationship, which He initiates as a desire to know Him intimately.

Daniel modeled a faithful life in prayer by seeking the Lord. As a public servant in his administrative office, he passed the test of scrutiny. Imagine an elected official in whom you could find nothing wrong – no fraud in expense accounts, no intern scandals, no questionable business deals, no gifts from lobbyists, no accusations from staff, and no skeletons in his closet. His professional life was blameless in conduct.

What was Daniel’s exemplary custom in prayer? Well, he prayed in his upper room, i.e. private prayer with no intent to impress others. He prayed with his windows open to Jerusalem to remember the Temple’s place of sacrifice in accordance with Solomon’s request before God in I Kings 8:3, “May you hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place.” He knelt down on his knees in humility before God, just as Jesus did (Luke 22:41), as Stephen (Acts 7:60), as Peter (Acts 9:40), as Paul (Acts 20:36) and as Luke (Acts 21:5). He prayed three times a day. He was one of the three governors in the kingdom, yet he still had time to pray. We can also have the posture of praying as we walk or  in our vehicle. Lastly, he prayed and gave thanks to God. Praise and thanksgiving bless the heart of God.

Daniel’s communion and supplication with God in prayer is where the group of men found him. When Darius realized he had been caught in a trap, he prayed for God to rescue Daniel from the lions. He was overjoyed at his safety and his trust in God!

Kneel before God, so you can stand boldly.